Who we are

Governance

CECOE belongs to its members. A General Assembly of all member organizations elects the Board, which guides a professional Secretariat that works through regional focal organizations across Ethiopia.

Structure

How decisions are made

Authority flows from the members: the General Assembly elects the Board, the Board guides the Secretariat, and the Secretariat serves members through regional focal organizations.

General AssemblyAll member organizations · highest decision-making bodyLearn more →

BoardSeven elected members · strategic direction and oversightLearn more →

AuditorOversees financial and property administration

Executive DirectorLeads the Secretariat and represents CECOE day to dayLearn more →

ProgrammesVoter education, observation, research and member projects
Communication and mediaStatements, media, radio and digital channels
Finance and operationsFinance, grants, HR and administration
21 regional focal organizationsMember CSOs coordinating CECOE’s work in every region

190+ member organizationsDeliver voter education, observation and peacebuilding in their communitiesLearn more →

Accountability

Rules, policies and planning

Legal status

A registered, non-partisan coalition

  • Registered with the Authority for Civil Society Organizations on 4 February 2020, certificate no. 4748.
  • Operates under the Organizations of Civil Societies Proclamation No. 1113/2019.
  • Accredited by NEBE as an independent, non-partisan citizen observer group.
Policies and systems

Accountable by design

  • Human resources, finance and procurement manuals, a job grading and salary scale.
  • A safeguarding policy, a monitoring and evaluation system and an advocacy strategy.
  • A sub-granting manual for funding member organizations transparently.
Planning and learning

Guided by a member-validated plan

  • The Strategic Plan 2023–2027, validated by more than 40 member organizations in November 2022 and approved by the General Assembly.
  • Annual General Assemblies of members review progress; the Assembly elects the Board.
  • Lessons-learned workshops after every observation mission.
Independence

Neutral in every election

  • Strict neutrality is the first of our six values, with inclusivity, partnership, transparency, independence and professionalism.
  • Observers are trained on a clear code of conduct and report impartially.
  • Findings are published openly in Amharic and English.
Explore

Leadership and documents

Board of DirectorsMeet the seven elected Board members.Open →Executive DirectorAbera Hailemariam’s profile.Open →Our teamThe Secretariat in Addis Ababa.Open →MembersThe member organizations behind CECOE.Open →Strategic PlanGoals, objectives and downloads.Open →Our storyHow the coalition has grown since 2019.Open →